Women's Soccer Ranks No. 8

The Mountaineers have plenty to celebrate after a successful 2013 season.

Photo from the Big 12 Conference

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women’s soccer team is ranked No. 8 in the final TopDrawerSoccer.com Top 25 Rankings of the 2013 season.

The Mountaineers (16-4-3, 7-1 Big 12) are the highest ranked Big 12 Conference team. WVU was ranked a season-best No. 7 in the Nov. 11 and Nov. 18 charts prior to its 1-0 loss at Virginia Tech in the NCAA Tournament Second Round on Nov. 22. The Hokies fell to national runner-up Florida State in the College Cup semifinal on Dec. 6 and finished the year ranked No. 4.

WVU was unranked in the TopDrawerSoccer.com Rankings until it broke through on Sept. 30 at No. 22. Since then, the squad steadily climbed each week, peaking at No. 7.

Newly-crowned NCAA champion UCLA is No. 1, while Florida State is No. 2 and Virginia is No. 3. North Carolina follows VT at No. 5, Michigan ranks No. 6 and Portland is No. 7. Florida and Nebraska round out the top 10.

Texas Tech, the Big 12’s other representative, checks in at No. 16.

The Mountaineers finished the season with two Big 12 Conference titles, winning their second straight regular-season championship and first postseason tournament. Senior Frances Silva, a 2013 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy semifinalist, and freshman Kadeisha Buchanan were named to the 2013 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/Continental Tire All-America Second Team, while 18-year coach Nikki Izzo-Brown was named the NSCAA Central Region Coach of the Year.